Francesco Molinari carded a final round 69 to win The Open Championship at Carnoustie after the most enthralling of final days

Molinari became Italy's first Champion Golfer by carding a flawless two-under-par round to get in at -8 on a day that saw Tiger Woods, Jordan Spieth and Rory McIlroy all challenge as the lead chopped and changed.

Rory finished tied second after a rollercoaster of a final round. His bid for a fifth major faltered with more putting problems in the opening five holes. He set up birdie putts on three of first four holes but all missed, as did a par putt on the second and then there was a three putt bogey on the fifth.

That left him -3 for the week and six back at a stage but birdies at nine and 11 soon fired him back into the mix before a stunning eagle at the par five 14th shot him into the thick of the challenge. He ended up carding a one under par 70 to finish -6, which proved a frustrating total in the light of Molinari's exploits.

EAGLE at 14 for @McIlroyRory. From nowhere he is back in a share of the lead.

Tiger Woods earned the outright lead with a two-under-par front nine but a nightmare double bogey on 11 was followed by another drop-shot on the 12th and his race was soon run. He finished -5, three shots back.

Jordan Spieth began the day in a tie at the top and looked on form early in the round but a bogey and the fifth coupled with a double bogey at the sixth to put the defending champion on the back foot before bogey at 15 ended his challenge on a day on which he failed to make a single birdie.

Constantino Rocca was famously beaten in a play-off by John Daly in the 1995 Open Championship at St Andrew's but finally Italy has its champion.